Court extends Paraskar’s interim relief till August 5

Mumbai : The Sessions Court on Thursday, while hearing Deputy Inspector General (DIG) Sunil Paraskar’s anticipatory bail application, extended his interim relief and adjourned the matter until August 5.

Public prosecutor Kalpana Chavan opposed the bail to Paraskar on the grounds that prima facie, the charges levelled against him were serious. The hearing was presided over by judge Vrushali Joshi.

Joint Commissioner of Police Sadanand Date said that the Mumbai police on the other hand also submitted an application in a magisterial court on Thursday to conduct a polygraph or what is popularly known as ‘lie-detector test’ on Paraskar. In addition, Commissioner of Police Rakesh Maria said, “If the case demands, we will also summon model Poonam Pandey to record her statement.”

Pandey came into the picture after tweets of the complainant surfaced where she alleged that the former, her rival, was in a relationship with Paraskar. And that Paraskar was acting under Pandey’s influence and jeopardising the escort services case, which the complainant had filed in Goregaon police station back in January.

Paraskar (57) was charged with molestation and rape by the Mumbai-based 26-year-old model on July 23. Though he has accepted that he and the complainant were friends, he denied having molested and raped her.